ron gidwitz runs a 527 superpac called the new prosperity foundation, which supports republican house candidates. > do you think there's a trend away from 527's to 501c4's? "in many cases there has been." and the numbers bear that out. 527 funding actually fell from 2008 to 2012, meaning more of that nearly $1 billion of campaign spending by outside groups comes from donors who do not need to disclose their name. reporting for first business news, i'm paul eggers. moments after president obama was declared the victor, the money struggle in washington stole the spotlight as lawmakers debated over how to avert the fiscal cliff. mother nature took a toll on several parts of the country this year. superstorm sandy ripped through the northeast in late october, leaving a trail of damage along the way. the storm racked up damage of around $60 billion, making it the second most expensive storm ever for the u.s., following hurricane katrina. the storm destroyed houses and businesses on the east coast, leaving millions without power. just months earlier, crop prices shot up following a massive